Sourdough

Sourdough is a dough that is made without adding yeast. The only ingredients are flour and water.

Fermentation, necessary for the rising of the dough, takes place through lactic acid bacteria and yeasts that are naturally present in the dough. These bacteria and fungi live in symbiosis and take care for, among other the formation of carbon dioxide bubbles, which gives the bread an airy structure during the baking process. The crust of sourdough bread is reddish brown in colour and less golden like yeast bread.

Sourdough

In French they talk about Levain, in English about sourdough and in Spanish about madre. The Germans talk about Sauerteig. To start making a sourdough, a ‘sponge’ is made of (rye) flour and water. This sponge is going to ferment for several days at a specific temperature, while at regular intervals flour and water have to be added. In France and America a sponge is named 'poolish'.

Sponge

To be able to bake a bread, a portion of the sponge has to be mixed with fresh flour and water, then molded and before frying it has to stand for several hours to continue to rise. The rest of the sponge is stored and regularly added with flour and water, so that again and again a part can be taken in order to bake bread.

Advantages sourdough

The bread has a more characteristic flavour and richer aroma

The bread has a tender resilient crumb

It will remain for longer shelf life, in other words, the aging process is slower

Disadvantages sourdough

The complexity of the process

The slightly sour taste that not everyone appreciates

Sonextra Zuurdesempoeder & Proson Sarrasin

Sonneveld has the product Sonextra Zuurdesempoeder in the assortment. Sonextra Zuurdesempoeder is a natural leaven in powder form and gives your bread products that delicious leaven aroma. It will make your white bread, Italian bread or French baguettes even tastier! Sonextra Zuurdesempoeder can be added directly to the dough, but can also be used when preparing pre-dough. It ensures extra flavour and smooth doughs.

Next to that, Sonneveld has Proson Sarrasin in her assortment. Proson Sarrasin is a natural sourdough in block-form.